


When We Die We're Going To Heaven Because We've Done Our Time In Hell

by KilljoyNephilim



Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: AU where we assume they always called each other Axl/Slash, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, like some nickname they gave each other as kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24698308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilljoyNephilim/pseuds/KilljoyNephilim
Summary: What was the point? He thinks you're pathetic-That thought alone hurt him more than anything happened at home that day. He pulled his legs onto the bench, holding his knees close to himself and burying his face in it.*Things aren't going well for Axl
Relationships: Axl Rose/Slash | Saul Hudson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	When We Die We're Going To Heaven Because We've Done Our Time In Hell

Axl was shaking.

He bit his lip, drawing blood as he sat in the rain. He was beyond crying - this was something very different. It made him numb, the only things he could feel were the anger burning in his gut and the cold raindrops falling down the side of his face. He wanted to scream, he wanted to shout, he wanted to let everything out. But he couldn't - he wasn't safe. Not here. Not yet. Maybe not ever. He pulled his jacket tightly around himself, shivering as he lost more of the warmth he'd somehow managed to retain to the cold air. He sat in the park - the bench he and Slash decide would be 'theirs' to come to whenever they needed it. He looked around frantically for his best friend.

_Bad idea. Bad idea bad idea bad idea bad idea. Why did you tell him anything? Stupid, stupid boy. What was the point? He thinks you're pathetic-_

That thought alone hurt him more than anything happened at home that day. He pulled his legs onto the bench, holding his knees close to himself and burying his face in it. He _couldn't_ cry. Not now. He dug his fingers into his hand, only letting a few of the tears that came with the thought fall before managing to keep the rest in his eyes. He rocked back and forth a bit. _Just pretend someone cared enough. Just pretend. It got you this far. You could deal before, too, when he had no idea about anything. You can't not be okay, all of a sudden, just because he knows a_ ** _little_** _bit._

He choked back a sob. 

_You are stupid. Worthless, and everyone knows it. Irrelevant. This is pathetic, William._

He cringed, pulling his knees onto the bench and hiding his face in them, forcing himself to let a few tears fall down his face, hiding his face in his knees.

_Stupid._

_Pathetic._

_Weak._

"It's okay."

He felt someone next to him. He heard their words, but their voice was drowned out by the screaming in his head. He choked down a sob.

"You're not any of those." The voice filled Axl with comfort. It made him relax in a way nobody else's did. 

"S-Slash," He choked out, falling into Slash's arms, still trembling. This was the only place he felt comfortable, the only place he felt safe - in the arms of the only person that made things even marginally bearable for him. He buried his face in his shoulder, taking a shaky breath as he inhaled Slash's scent - musk, coffee, and cigarettes, mixed with his usual lemon scented soap. It smelt like comfort, it smelt like safety, and most importantly, for Axl, it smelt like home. He hid his face in Slash's neck, letting tears he didn't know he had fall.He gripped onto him for dear life, throwing both arms around him and feeling the walls he'd built around himself start to crumble. Slash was the only one who could get past the otherwise impenetrable fortress he'd built around himself; one he never let anyone else even see past. He'd made sure that they wouldn't even try. He felt one of Slash's firm hands on his back, holding him close - feeling himself melt. Out of everyone, this was the one person he trusted more than anything - and he hoped to god Slash would never let him go. "Y-you came."

"Of course. I'll always come when you want me to. Three rings on the phone, remember? You’re my best friend, I'll always be here for you when you want me to be."

Axl just nodded. "I know. It's still amazing whenever you do, I-" His voice cracked again, and he hid his face in Slash's arms. "I - I want to tell you everything. I do. I just - I can't, Slashy. It all hurts, so much, I can't even breathe the air here without feeling like it's tearing me apart." He held his breath, whimpering once he finally inhaled again, the only thing bringing any sort of comfort to him being Slash's presence. He breathed in his scent again, doing his best to choke down the last cry.

"Let it out, Axl."

The floodgates burst open; Axl's tears flowed freely down his face and onto Slash's jacket, drenching it more than the rain already did. He clutched onto Slash, an odd sense of relief flooding through him as he cried, holding on to the younger one for dear life. He shook while crying, tightening his grip around his best friend as he let his hair fall on Slash's shoulder as well, his straight red hair a sharp contrast against Slash's dark curls. He moved closer to Slash, letting him pull him onto his lap as he kept his face hidden in his shoulder. 

"I- Thank you, Slash," He choked out.

Slash wrapped his arms around Axl, stopping when he felt him flinch.

"Many bruises this time, too?" He asked silently. Axl bit his lip, nodding.

“I don’t care, though. Not anymore. It’s something else this time…”

Slash looked confused as Axl pulled at the collar of his shirt, revealing bruises around his neck. An unbridled rage filled the younger one; he pulled Axl close to himself. “I hate how they treat you so much…”

Axl let out a dry laugh. “Yeah – well, not like there’s anything I can do…”

Slash squeezed his eyes shut. “You have your wallet with you?”

“Yeah – why, what does that have to do with anything?”

“I do, too. My guitar is in my car, I have the car keys, and enough spare clothes.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Axl! I can’t just watch as you get hurt, nearly killed day in and day out. You mean more to me than anybody else in the world – you’re the most important person in my life. I _won’t_ watch you get hurt again. You aren’t safe here. There’s no way you can be – I’m not letting this happen. Ever again.”

“S-Slash, are you…”

“I’m asking you to run away with me. Somewhere I can keep you safe, somewhere none of them will ever hurt you again. Axl Rose, I’m asking you to run away with me, right now. We’re both almost adults – a month of laying low before we are. I’ll figure out how to get money till then, don’t you worry about that. I love you, you’re the best person in the world to have as my best friend, and I want to keep you safe.”

Axl’s tears mixed in with the rainwater as he looked up from Slash’s shoulder, pressing his lips together as hard as he could and nodding. “I – I want to run away with you, Slash,” He said, a blanket of relief falling over him as he said those simple words. He buried his face in Slash’s shoulder again as they both stood up.

“I’ll turn on the heating once we’re in the car – that jacket’s just going to make you shiver more. You are safe with me, Axl. I’m going to make sure of it.”

For the first time in his life, Axl felt that way as well.


End file.
